Australian Adaptations: The European Turn

Abstract

In Part III, we investigate the continuous modernization of classical and modern texts across the region to show how directors, writers and/or collaborating artists create radically revised adaptations or versions of mostly well-known plays. Theorist Linda Hutcheon broadly defines an adaptation as ‘an announced and extensive transposition of a particular work or works’ from one form to another such as novel to film (Hutcheon, 2006: 7). In a more theatre-oriented discussion, Peter Boenisch attributes the worldwide trend in theatre adaptation to the postdramatic paradigm that foregrounds ‘presentational, self-reflexive, and experimental mises en scène instead of the traditional representation of a play-text’ (Boenisch, 2010: 164). In the chapters that follow we discuss case studies from different locations across the region especially Visible Cities in Singapore, I La Gilago in Indonesia and Hamletclone in Japan. This chapter offers a discussion of the shape-changing form of what we refer to as adaptation theatre before going on to consider Australian director Barrie Kosky and writer Tom Wright’s modernization of Euripides’ tragedy The Women of Troy. Their modern adaptation, first performed in 2008, transposes the classical text into a drama that reflects on modern warfare, the behaviour of Western forces in the Middle East and the fate of civilian populations.